


Shiver

by supernaturalsam



Category: Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Super Mysteries - Franklin W. Dixon & Carolyn Keene
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-18 07:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2340128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernaturalsam/pseuds/supernaturalsam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has something they're afraid of. A murderer is on the loose in River Heights killing people with their fears. Now, Nancy and the Hardys are determined to stop him before they become his next victims.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Ben Matthews fidgeted nervously in his seat, his fingers toying absently with the small length of thread hanging from the bottom of his jacket. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him as they took in the newcomer, whispering amongst themselves about what his story could possibly be. He looked normal enough—light brown hair, hazel eyes, with a slightly athletic build. But then again, so did the others sitting in the circle.

Maybe this was a bad idea. I shouldn’t be here doing this. I don’t know why I even let my doctor talk me into this.

His eyes darted up to the man sitting across from him, but the encouraging smile Dr. Jonathan Stark flashed him did nothing to alleviate the nervous flutter in his stomach. He wished for what must have been the tenth time since he walked through the door to the local community center that the spotlight could be off of him.

“Now, as you can see, we have a newcomer among us today,” Dr. Stark said, his voice commanding the attention of the group. Ben let out a small sigh as the interest turned away from him and focused on the psychologist. “I want you to remember that this is a friendly, judgment-free environment. We’re here to support each other and to provide a trusting atmosphere.

“Acrophobia, Nyctophobia, Pyrophobia, Anthropophobia---these are all clinical terms for fears and phobias. Fear is a natural occurrence. Everyone has something that they are afraid of, even me. The important thing is to acknowledge it and overcome it.” Dr. Stark’s eyes roamed around the circle, seeking each person. “You’re here today to take that step forward. You’re here because you’re ready to release yourself from your fears and take control of your own life. Now, who would like to start?”

The room was silent for a few moments before an older woman with grayish red hair raised her hand and stood up. “My name is Rosa and I’m afraid of the dark…terrified really.”

Ben glanced around the room as the rest of the group greeted Rosa as one, questioning himself once again if he actually should be there. After all, how could a group of strangers help him come to terms with his fear? It’s not as if they knew him and talking to them could suddenly help him overcome it.

“I know fear usually stems from something that’s happened when we were younger but I actually don’t have anything to base mine on,” Rosa said softly. “For as long as I can remember, I simply never liked being in the dark. I can’t even sleep with a nightlight because I only focus on the darkness.”

“And how have you let your fear control your life, Rosa?” Stark asked.

“It’s controlled every aspect of it. I’m almost fifty years old and I’ve never had a steady relationship. It’s hard to date anyone when you can’t even go out at night because you’re so afraid.” Rosa glanced out the window, swallowing nervously as the late afternoon sun slowly began to fade below the horizon. “Even now, it’s taking everything that I have not to run out the door.”

“What’s stopping you from doing that?”

Rosa took a deep breath, her eyes locking on Stark’s. “Because I’m tired of living like this. I’m tired of not having a life because of this stupid fear.”

“It’s not stupid, Rosa.” Stark glanced around the room. “That’s the first thing all of you need to realize—your fears are not stupid. They are a part of you, as they are with everyone else. If anyone tells you they’re not afraid of anything, then they’re simply lying to you. Everyone has something that they’re fearful of.”

Ben shifted uncomfortably in his chair as Stark’s eyes rested on him.

“Would you like to share your fear with us, Ben?”

“I—” The young man hesitated as he noticed everyone staring at him. The spotlight was growing brighter and hotter over him and he knew the only way to get it off of him was to start talking. Taking a deep breath, Ben cleared his throat. “My name is Ben and I have a fear of heights.”

“Welcome, Ben,” the group said. Some were smiling at him, while others acted bored with the entire thing.

“I’m engaged to be married in a couple of months and I promised my fiancée that I would go skydiving with her on our honeymoon. She knows that I don’t particularly like heights, but she doesn’t know how deep the fear actually goes.”

“Why don’t you tell the room what happened to you when you were younger, Ben,” Stark said.

Ben nodded. “When I was ten years old, my parents took me to an amusement park. I wanted to go on the Ferris wheel because I had never been on one before and all my friends were talking about it, saying how much fun it was to get to the top and see everything for miles away.

“All of a sudden, the wheel lurched just when my dad and I were getting to the top. I guess I wasn’t sitting in the chair right because I felt myself sliding out and saw my dad grabbing for me. He managed to grab my arm just before I could fall out and plummet to the ground.”

A series of gasps and murmurs went up among the group but Ben ignored them as he continued to talk. It actually felt good that he was sharing his experience with others, even if they were complete strangers. “I remember looking down and seeing my mom screaming and pointing up at me. My dad had a hard time holding onto me because I was freaking out and struggling, trying to get back up into the car. It seemed like forever before he was finally able to pull me up into his arms.”

“How did that experience change you, Ben?” Stark asked.

“I can’t even go up a small flight of stairs without having a panic attack. My apartment is on the first level because I can’t even put my foot up on the stairs without freezing.” He flashed a small smile. “My fiancée has been trying to help me and I can tell she’s getting frustrated. I’m afraid if I don’t get help and overcome my fear, she may decide to leave me. If she does that, then I have nothing…she’s everything to me and I don’t want to lose her.”

“And that’s why you’re here,” Stark said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs. “I wanted to start this group as a way for all of you to cope and to have a strong support system. I wanted you to see that you all were not alone, that there are others here who are struggling with fears. They may not be the same fears you have, but they have them and they are just as debilitating.”

Leaning back in his chair, Ben let out a small sigh, glad that he was finished speaking. Maybe this group therapy wouldn’t be such a bad thing, after all. He was willing to do anything to get past his fear so he could have a life with Sara.

“Well, I think that will do it for tonight,” Stark said, gathering up his belongings before standing up. “We’ll meet back here next week at the same time. Rosa, if you’ll wait, I’ll be more than happy to accompany you to your car.”

Scooping up his jacket, Ben slipped it on before taking his keys out of his jeans pocket.

“Hey, Ben…a few of us were going to head to Al’s if you wanted to join us,” a young man with shaggy red hair said.

Ben shook his head. “Thanks, but Sara is waiting at home for me. I promised to take her out to the movies tonight.”

“Okay…well, maybe next time.”

“Yeah, sounds good.” With a wave, Ben pushed the door open, the cool air instantly closing in around him. Pulling his jacket tighter around him, he braced himself against the wind as he walked towards his car. He’d had to park a block or so away because of a wedding reception that was happening in one of the other rooms and there had been no parking spots available.

There wasn’t much activity around River Heights as he quickly made his way to his car. Not that there was ever anything really happening in town, but it seemed eerily quiet to him, especially given it was a Friday night. Seeing his car, he picked up his pace, wanting nothing more than to hop inside and turn the heat on full blast. A chill was cutting through him and he wasn’t sure it was entirely due to the weather.

It was almost as if he was being watched.

Great…now you’re starting to get paranoid. Why don’t you just add that to the list of problems you already have, Ben?

Pressing the button on his remote, he heard the doors click as they unlocked. Reaching for the door handle, he only caught a glimpse of a dark shadow in his window before he felt someone grab him and something sharp pricking his neck. The keys fell from his grip and clattered to the pavement, his hands going up to immediately struggle against his captor.

His eyes darted around the dark street, seeking out anyone who could possibly help or call the police. He couldn’t even see the assailant’s face in the window, his face concealed by the shadow of the hood on his jacket. Ben felt himself growing weaker, realizing too late that he had been drugged.

Slowly, the world closed in on him until there was nothing but darkness.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

It was windier than it had been when he’d walked out of the community center, Ben realized as he came to with a start. His head was pounding and his tongue felt thick in his mouth, as if it were stuffed with cotton balls. There was something tight around his wrists and it took a few moments for him to realize that he was standing against something.

Slowly opening his eyes, terror instantly seized him as he saw he was standing on the opposite side of a balcony, his arms stretched on either side on him, tied to the railing. The ground below him swam in and out of focus, his feet nearly falling out from under him as he struggled, desperate to get on the other side of the railing where he could get solid ground beneath him. As it was, he was standing on a surface that couldn’t be any bigger than four inches wide.

_Okay, take a deep breath, Ben._

_Control your fear…don’t let it control you._

_Breathe._

_Breathe._

Peering down, he felt his heart slow down slightly. He had to be at least five stories above the ground.

The real question was how he’d gotten there.

His head jerked around at the sound of a scuffle, like a shoe rubbing against the concrete. The mysterious man from the alleyway stepped out of the shadows, the hood moved away from his head, revealing his face. Even though it was dark, Ben could see shaggy red hair reflected in the moonlight.

“You…you were at…at the meeting,” Ben said, his voice shaking.

The man smiled but remained silent.

“Wh…what are you doing?”

“I’m helping you overcome your fears, just like the doctor said we should,” the man said. “I’m here to support you, Ben.”

“I don’t even know your name.”

The man shrugged. “It’s not important. If it makes you feel any better, you can call me Toby.”

“Okay…Toby.” Ben swallowed hard, afraid to take his eyes off the other man. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Of course I do.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to set you free,” Toby said. He walked over to the railing, peering down at the ground below. “I never understood what the hype was about heights, you know. If you ask me, it’s one of the best ways to die.”

Ben’s eyes widened as he glanced at Toby. “Why do you say that?”

The man gave another careless shrug. “It’s quick and nine times out of ten, you die instantly. There’s no pain, no suffering. You just go plummeting towards the ground and…” He clapped his hands in front of Ben’s face, making him jump. “You’re dead.”

“Please don’t do this, man,” Ben begged, not caring how needy it made him sound. He didn’t want to die—all he wanted was to go home to Sara. “Please, just let me go.”

“I am going to let you go.” Pushing away from the rail, he reached behind his jeans and pulled out a large hunting knife. The moonlight glinted off the blade as he held it up in front of Ben’s face. “I’m going to give you your freedom, Ben.”

Ben let out a sigh, relief flooding through him at his words. The first thing he was going to do was run to the police station and get this freak put behind bars. Then, he was going to go home to Sara and never let her go.

The man put his hand over Ben’s, angling the knife so it could cut the ropes around his left wrist. The ropes snapped away as he cut at the last threads, his grip still tight on Ben’s hand, holding it against the railing.

“What are you doing?” Ben asked, glancing at the man.

“I told you that I was setting you free.”

“Then let go of me and help me over the railing.”

Letting out a cold chuckle, the man shook his head before letting go of Ben’s hand. Before the young man could react, he felt his legs being kicked out from under him. His mouth opened in a silent scream as he felt himself falling forward before he was jerked to a stop, the ropes around his right wrist stopping him from sailing to the pavement below. Pain tore through him as he heard a pop in his wrist, a scream erupting from his lips.

Turning his body around, his feet dangled as he looked up with wide eyes at the crazed man. “No! Don’t do this, please! Help me back up!”

“If I do that, it’s not going to help you overcome your fear, Ben.”

“I don’t care about that!” Ben yelled. “I can live with it! Please, just help me back up! Don’t let me die!”

“I’m not letting you die…I’m helping you live.” Bringing the knife to the ropes, the man slowly and deliberately began sawing away at the hemp.

“No! Please!” Ben was practically screaming as he tried to pull himself up with his other hand, desperately trying to grab at the railing. He kept screaming until his throat was raw, praying that someone would hear him and help him before it was too late. His body jerked as the ropes slowly unraveled, bringing him closer and closer to inevitable death.

“Embrace your fear, Benjamin. It’s the only way you can set yourself free.”

With one last flick of his wrist, the man sliced through the last of the ropes, sending Ben plunging towards the ground, his body making a sickening crunch as it collided with the wet pavement.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

 

Nancy Drew smiled as she saw the top of Frank Hardy’s head peeking out from the crowd as he made his way towards her. He wasn’t too hard to distinguish considering he stood well over the majority of the hungry patrons packing the entrance of La Fiesta, the newest Mexican restaurant in River Heights. She had arrived fifteen minutes earlier to secure them a table while Frank had finished up some paperwork back at the office and she was glad she did, since the line outside the door seemed to be getting longer.

“Sorry it took me so long to get here,” Frank said, planting a kiss on her cheek before sliding into the booth next to her.

“Don’t worry about it,” Nancy answered, feeling that familiar heat rushing through her body as she came into contact with Frank. The attraction was still as strong as when they were teenagers, maybe even a little stronger. “You’re here now.”

Frank smiled. “I thought the crowd was going to kill me when I was making my way through. Did you have to wait long for a table?”

“Not really. Maybe about ten minutes or so.” Nancy picked up the menu and held it between them so they both could browse through the selections. “I went ahead and ordered you a tea and the queso should be here at any moment.”

“You know me too well, Drew.”

“You’re just too predictable, Hardy,” Nancy said with a teasing smile.

Frank arched a brow as he nudged her gently. “Is that so?”

Nancy let out a theatrical sigh as she shrugged. “I’m afraid it is. You know, if it wasn’t for this ring you put on my finger, I may have already gone and found someone more exciting and unpredictable.”

“Not happening, Nan,” Frank said softly, taking her left hand in his, the diamonds in the engagement ring sparkling under the faint light above them. “It took me a long time to get that ring on your finger. I’m not about to let you go now…or ever, for that matter.”

“Glad to hear it.”

After years of flirting and dodging their obvious attraction for one another, Frank had shown up on her doorstep late one night, professing his love for her. Nancy would never forget that night—it seemed as if everything was finally perfectly aligning, as if the universe knew they were always meant to be together. She had broken up with Ned two years before and while she’d wanted nothing more than to call Frank up and tell him how she really felt about him, she didn’t. Joe, Frank’s younger brother, had told her that Frank was engaged to Callie, though he hadn’t seemed thrilled with the idea.

After that bit of unsettling news, Nancy had done her best to put Frank behind her, focusing on her career. She’d earned her criminal justice degree from Wilder and immediately enrolled into the police academy. Upon completion, she’d considered joining the FBI and was in the process of getting the paperwork in order for Quantico when Chief McGinnis had called her and offered her a position as lead detective for the River Height Police Department.

Not wanting to pass up the chance of remaining in her hometown around her family and friends, Nancy jumped at the opportunity. And for seven months, she had succeeded in submerging herself in her work, putting everything behind her and focusing on what was ahead. She thought she was doing great until that night when Frank showed up at her apartment, dripping wet and breathless.

As soon as he’d told her everything she’d wanted to hear for years, all the walls she had built around herself came crumbling down. It was only the next day that she’d found out from Joe that Frank had called off his wedding in the middle of the ceremony and had boarded the first flight to River Heights.

To be with her.

It took everything she had not to send Frank packing because she never wanted to be _that_ person—the one that everyone resented because she had ruined a marriage, though technically she’d had nothing to do with it. It took a lot of convincing from Frank that it wasn’t her fault, that it was his for even stringing Callie along when it was Nancy he’d wanted to be with all along.

Now, eight months later, Callie had moved on and was married to a pediatrician and Frank and Nancy were engaged to be married.

“So, have you talked to Joe lately?” Nancy asked after the waitress had come over to take their orders.

Frank took a tortilla chip from the basket and dipped it into the melted cheese, popping it into his mouth before it could drip onto his shirt. “Yeah…right before I got here. He was complaining about the delay and anything else he could think of.”

“Typical.”

“They were starting to board when he hung up with me so he should be here within a couple of hours or so.”

Nancy glanced down at her watch, seeing that it was close to seven, meaning Joe wouldn’t show up at the apartment until around ten, given the hour it takes to drive from Chicago. She had to admit that she was happy to see the younger Hardy since he hadn’t been around in a couple of months, though she knew she was nowhere near as excited as Frank.

Growing up, the brothers had pretty much been inseparable, teaming up with each other to help their father, Fenton, on cases. On many occasions, Nancy had teamed up with them as well and had always envied the way they each had someone to depend on. That’s not saying she didn’t have that herself with Ned and her two best friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne, but there was something about having a sibling to count on that made it better. Not having any siblings herself, Nancy had always likened her relationship with Joe to a brother/sister one.

Frank had been ideally upset when Joe had broken the news to him that he’d wanted to stay in Bayport and help their father run their thriving private detective business. It took a while for Nancy to convince Frank that it was for the best, considering Joe had his own life with Vanessa. Besides, it had been Frank’s choice to stay in River Heights with Nancy and he couldn’t expect Joe to just drop everything just to join him.

“It’s too bad he couldn’t get here earlier,” Nancy commented as she nibbled on a chip. “He would have loved to come here.”

“Joe would love anything you put in front of his face,” Frank said with a grin. “Give him one of those food carts in New York City and he thinks it’s a gourmet meal.”

Nancy smiled at him. “You’ve missed him, haven’t you?”

Frank glanced away sheepishly. “If I admit to that, you promise not to tell him? He already thinks I’m the more emotional of the two of us as it is.”

“He’s not going to hear a peep out of me.”

“You’re going to rat me out to him, aren’t you?”

Nancy was saved from saying anything as the waitress came back to the table with their meals. Placing each of their orders in front of them, she made sure they didn’t need anything else before scurrying away to her next table. Nancy didn’t envy any of the staff as the line at the door seemed to be getting longer and longer.

The young couple ate in companionable silence, exchanging a few words every now and then. Nancy preferred to people watch as she ate, guessing it stemmed from her line of work. You could tell a lot about people in public settings, especially restaurants, whether it was from business meetings where people were most of the time trying to kiss each other’s ass to couples who were either deeply in love or trying to salvage the last thread of their relationships.

“Do you ever wonder what people think of us when we’re out together?” Nancy asked, her eyes roaming over the tables.

Frank shrugged. “Not really. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. I guess because I do the same thing as I look at everyone else.”

“That’s because you can never give your mind any rest. You have to turn it off sometimes, Nan. Even you’re allowed that option.”

Nancy shook her head. “If I did that, I think I might actually go insane.”

Frank chuckled as he wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin. “And I actually believe that. It’s one of the reasons I love you so much, Drew. You never stop, always wanting to know what’s around the next corner.”

“Some people would just call that being nosy.”

“And I’m not just ‘some people’. When are you going to learn that?” Frank leaned forward, brushing a tender kiss across her lips as the waitress came back with their check. Pulling away from Nancy, he reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. Thumbing through his money, he pulled it free, throwing it on the table on top of the check, leaving extra for a tip.

Scooting out of the booth, he held out his hand to Nancy. “Come on, let’s get out of here before they kick us out.”

Taking Frank’s hand, Nancy let him pull her out, holding onto it tightly as he led her out of the restaurant. As soon as they pushed out of the door, the cool air bit into her skin, making her pull her jacket tighter around her. It was a brisk autumn night, the full moon tucked away behind the gray clouds. She felt herself relax as Frank put his arm around her shoulders, holding her close against him as they walked down the sidewalk.

The solitude of the moment was broken by the sound of her cell phone ringing. Breaking away from Frank, she reached into her pocket and sighed when she saw the screen.

“Hey, Chief. What’s going on?”

_“Nancy, I’m sorry to bother you while you’re off-duty. I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.”_

“No, sir—now’s a good time,” Nancy said with an apologetic glance at Frank. “Is everything okay?”

_“Not exactly.”_

“What happened?”

_“We just got a report of a jumper outside the Eisenhower Apartments.”_

“The Eisenhower Apartments have been abandoned for years,” Nancy said, frowning. “That sounds like an open-and-shut case though. Can’t one of the officers handle it until the morning? We still need to pick up Joe from the airport.”

_“I wouldn’t call you if it wasn’t important, Nancy. You could be right; it could be a clear-cut suicide. But I’d like to be sure and that’s where you come in. You’re my lead detective, after all.”_

Nancy stopped walking as she glanced up at the sky, wishing for just once that the responsibility didn’t lie on her. “I’ll call you when I know something.”

“What’s wrong?” Frank asked as soon as she hung up.

“There was a suicide at the Eisenhower Apartments. The chief wants me to go check it out.”

“But you’re not on duty and we’re supposed to be at the airport in an hour to pick Joe up.”

“Yeah, I tried to tell him that but he didn’t want to hear it.” Nancy looked up at him. “Why don’t you go and pick Joe up and I’ll meet you back at the apartment later after I wrap things up?”

“Are you trying to get rid of me, Drew?”

Nancy shook her head, a small smile forming on her lips. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Frank kissed her on her forehead. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? I can leave a message for Joe to grab a rental.”

“No, it’s okay…really. With luck, this will just turn into something quick and I’ll be home before you and Joe even get there.”

Rolling his eyes, Frank smiled down at her. “Since when have we ever had luck on our side?”

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

The Eisenhower Apartment complex wasn’t too difficult to find. It was in the quieter part of River Heights, just out of the main downtown area but still close enough where it was within walking distance from the shops. No one had lived there in years, the old building the unfortunate victim of neglect and foreclosure. There had been talks recently of a developer from Chicago coming in to remodel it but as far as Nancy knew, those were just rumors.

Pulling her car to a stop, she made sure her cell phone was in her pocket before getting out of the car. A group of officers and the medical examiner were clustered around what she assumed to be the body of the jumper. As soon as she approached, everyone looked up and greeted her.

Nancy glanced at the sheet that was covering the victim, glad that he was covered if the blood on the fabric was any indication of what was waiting behind it. She actually didn’t mind the sight of blood—just not the gory contents that usually went with a jumper.

“What do we have?”

An older man with a slight gut stepped forward and took her by the arm, pulling her away from the crowd. Officer Crawford had a round face with rosy cheeks and thinning black hair. He was affectionately known as “Papa” around the small force. “We got a call around seven thirty from a pedestrian who said they heard screaming.” He nodded at a teen who was standing to the side with another of the officers.

“Did he see anything?” Nancy asked.

Papa shook his head. “No. Not that we can gather anyway. He said he heard the victim scream and he came racing around. By the time he got up here, our guy had already hit the pavement.”

Nancy nodded as she glanced up at the tall structure. “Where do you think he jumped from?”

“The medical examiner is thinking it had to be at least five stories up, considering the damage to the victim’s body.”

“Do we have a name for the victim?”

Papa thumbed through his notebook before coming to a stop towards the end. “Ben Matthews. Twenty-three years old and his address isn’t too far from here.”

“Did you find a note?”

“Not on him.”

“What about his car?”

“We haven’t located his car. But then again, he could have just walked here.”

“Have you notified his family?”

“Not yet but we will be shortly.”

Nancy let out a sigh as she ran her hands through her hair. “So, this is looking more like a suicide. But why come all the way out here?”

Papa shrugged. “It’s quiet and abandoned.”

“Detective Drew!”

Nancy turned around at the sound of her name, seeing Karen Gill, the medical examiner/funeral director for River Heights, waving her over. Excusing herself from Papa, Nancy made her way over to the petite woman. “Hey, Karen.”

“Hey, Nancy. It’s been a while,” Karen said with a smile. “We don’t typically get many calls together.”

“I’m not going to complain about that,” Nancy said, returning the smile. “Are you ready to call this a suicide?”

Karen frowned. “Maybe…maybe not.”

“What does that mean?” Nancy asked, feeling a knot form in her stomach. Murders didn’t normally occur in River Heights. In fact, the last one had to be at least a year ago.

“I found something that may suggest it wasn’t a suicide, after all.”

“What?”

Karen knelt down next to the body, pulling the sheet away from his arm to reveal his left wrist. There was a deep indentation that was turning a purplish brown with trace amounts of blood. “What does that look like to you?”

It was Nancy’s turn to frown as she bent down to peer closely at the victim’s wrist. She knew what she was looking at considering she’d had her fair share of experience with being tied up from many cases in her past. “It looks like a ligature mark.”

“Exactly. He has one on the other wrist as well.”

That feeling of dread completely consumed Nancy as she thought about what that meant. Unless the victim had a partner he was working with, there was no way this was a suicide. There was no way a person could tie themselves up and leave the kind of marks that were visible on Ben’s wrists.

Straightening up to her full height, Nancy took a step back and glanced up at the balconies that loomed over them. “We obviously know he fell from up there but the real question is was he dead before he hit the ground?”

Karen stood up, brushing the dirt off her jeans as a gurney was brought over to them. “I won’t know for sure until I get back to the office and perform the autopsy. I’ll let you know something as soon as I find it.”

“Thanks, Karen.”

Stepping away from them, Nancy reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. _So much for getting home anytime soon_ , she thought as she dialed Frank’s number. She sighed as it rang before going to voicemail.

“Hey, it’s me,” she said as soon as she heard the beep. “Looks like I’m going to be held up out here for a while, considering our suicide most likely just turned into a murder. Don’t worry about coming out here—I’m sure Joe is exhausted. I’ll catch you up on everything when I get home later. I love you.”

Disconnecting the call, Nancy then dialed the number for Chief McGinnis, not surprised when her supervisor picked up on the first ring.

_“Tell me what you got, Drew.”_

“Looks like you were right to send me out here, after all. Karen found evidence to suggest it may not have been a suicide.” Turning around, she once more glanced at the old building. “It’s looking more like we might have a murder on our hands.”

 


End file.
